How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 524

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How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Noble Family (524)

At 6 o’clock, having completed the isolation operation, I issued orders to assemble at the bishop’s residence, and one minute later, everyone scattered throughout the coordinate systems of the Bamberg Archdiocese and Eichstätt Diocese had assembled in the hall on the second floor of the Bamberg bishop’s residence. Beyond where the heavy wooden door that had already been removed from the front of the hall once stood, the empty office of the Bishop of Bamberg could be seen.

The detachment commanders who had counted personnel turned to report to me. Since the numbers matched, I calmly waited for contact from General Oettingen. At 6:02, one of General Oettingen’s adjutants spoke through the left artifact.

[Major Ernst, can you hear me?]

“I can hear you.”

[The 2nd Infantry Regiment is joining the 10th Infantry Brigade.]

This unfamiliar voice had never been so welcome. Then came the real orders from His Majesty the King.

[By 6:30, kill the Archbishop of Bamberg and the Bishop of Eichstätt. However, if impossible, capture them alive.]

Capture them alive if impossible—this was something that might not even be feasible.

Looking back at the path Leonard and I had taken earlier, he was not someone we could feel at ease about confining. We had to face them prepared to die, and if there had been any problems with our operations so far, it was because the Archbishop of Bamberg—Sarah Hohenfelss—who had learned of the situation in advance might bring other personnel from the leadership.

In this sense, the Auxiliary Bishop of Bamberg also could not be kept alive. He might have sent contact to the Archbishop of Bamberg, and perhaps could still do so even while isolated now. The other brigade’s mages who had not sortied would handle him trapped in that empty space as quickly as possible.

Also, the Bishop of Würzburg and the Bishop of Speyer, who belonged to the same Bamberg province—that is, the northern four dioceses—would be dealt with by several mage brigades and regiments united like us. Considering that the bishop was not at the cathedral, all these bishops who were the core of the dioceses already knew what would be announced at 6 o’clock, and though they might have moved to their respective cathedrals after 6 o’clock to guide parishioners and clergy, there was a high probability they had been gathered at the leadership until then. The fact that the bishops had gathered at the leadership rather than commanding from their own dioceses showed they were clearly controlling all of Germany at the leadership level, rather than creating and taking responsibility for the 6 o’clock major announcement environment by diocese.

Just then, General Oettingen’s voice was heard.

[Major Ernst, Pleroma has now gathered magical power at an estimated altitude of 1,000 meters and is projecting images, and this scene is being watched throughout Germany, including Bavaria. The Imperial Newspaper has posted breaking news about Pleroma’s first-ever external action. Please be aware of this.]

As expected.

‘First-ever external action’—those words sent a chill across my skin. Their leadership had revealed themselves during Penthalon, but since I had made it into a time when I wasn’t there, no one knew that Pleroma had revealed itself to the world. Also, only a small number of people including myself had met with the leadership. The Pleroma leadership was truly revealing itself to the world for the first time today. Of course, we too had only met with a very small part of the leadership, so we needed to carefully observe their appearance.

Our goal was, first and foremost, Bavaria’s victory. Eliminating Pleroma in the Bavarian region was our objective. However, second, stopping their ridiculous broadcast was also our goal. Had the Pleroma leadership already received news that the dioceses in the Bavarian region had been destroyed, and were they still forcing through their plan, or were they unaware of the attacks on the Bavarian dioceses? The fact that the images were still flowing even though all dioceses had stopped functioning showed this was something the Pleroma leadership had prepared on a large scale.

I asked General Oettingen.

“Can you also hear what they’re saying? If so, please find out by what principle this is possible, Your Excellency. Also, is the temporary coordinate system conversion functioning for the next 30 minutes?”

[It is functioning. I’ll relay that.]

6:03. I looked at my watch and waited for the bishop.

They did not come. Had the Archbishop of Bamberg grasped the diocese’s anomaly, or was it because the bishop didn’t necessarily need to be present at the diocese’s announcement—would they come late or not at all? I continued to quickly cycle through my memories to keep my thinking sharp. From grasping the current situation to future scenarios.

The deacon, priest, and monsignor I had put to sleep and sent to another space, like those who had been at the cathedral, would be dealt with like the auxiliary bishop’s case, but these would be restrained with their communication means removed unless they were very dangerous, even for information purposes. Other units would be doing such work now. This division of labor was the best way to achieve victory today.

Division of labor—yes, there was also a brigade going down to the basement of the bishop’s residence to move to their strategy room through the lion relief of the clock tower. The 12th Infantry Brigade of the 6th Division, transferred due to the establishment of the 5th Corps, would do so. There was also a corps that had moved to the central square of the Pleroma world that Leonard and I had visited just before returning, nicknamed Pleroma’s ‘capital.’ Most of the 4th Corps except for some had all moved to the ‘capital.’ Disguised as clergy, they would hide in spaces with levers that could return to Pleroma dioceses in the Bavarian region like the space we had stopped at when returning to Bamberg, quickly causing maximum damage while rapidly withdrawing for minimum damage. That space also prioritized destruction through catacombs and Bavaria’s spatial magic technology, but since it was a Pleroma sect common area, security was thorough and if it was filled with all kinds of new technology, there was a probability it wouldn’t work, and since it was basically strong with many high-ranking clergy gathered, there was no way to engage in terms of skill other than operations that gained advantage through surprise attacks, and since most clergy except bishops had scattered to their respective dioceses due to the 6 o’clock announcement, if calculations showed it would not be beneficial based on field judgment, they would also consider moving from there to dioceses in other regions outside Bavaria. This was Bavaria’s securing of influence over all of Germany. Though they wouldn’t be certain in advance how far they could succeed.

Also, in Würzburg and Speyer dioceses, they couldn’t have actively used divine power—Narke had returned, but he was going around population centers throughout the empire as part of this operation, cleaning up Atropos that Pleroma might have laid down. Though I hadn’t heard about it, he would have gone to the ‘capital’ by now to join the 4th Corps—Würzburg and Speyer dioceses would have used sleeping drug cigarettes, Archduchess Maria’s creation, to briefly confuse the clergy, and since the danger level was higher compared to the diocese I had dealt with, the kingdom would enter again with spatial magic to attack them.

However, I would handle the bishops who were the core among the clergy.

Then I felt signs of people upstairs. My naturally sharpened eyes turned that way. The moment I aimed my wand in that direction and held my breath, Leonard Wittelsbach and his subordinate mages came down from the upstairs staircase to the bishop’s residence lobby. I lowered my wand and raised my hand to salute him, and he did the same to me. I spoke into the artifact.

“Your Majesty, at 18:04 on April 15th, I will commence the operation to kill the Bishops of Bamberg and Eichstätt.”

Leonard, who had lined up the mages in formation, stood at the front with me. He closed his eyes a little longer than usual and opened them, meaning for me to speak.

“Colleagues, we must kill the Archbishop of Bamberg and the Bishop of Eichstätt today. Their unique abilities are destructive as conveyed before coming here. To face those abilities sufficient to confuse us, never lose your composure, wait for my divine power, or in places where you cannot receive divine power, focus on the commands transmitted to your ears. Try not to let the mirrors attached to your clothes be damaged. Everything else is as we trained for half a day. With unwavering resolve, focus and deal with them within 30 minutes.”

“Yes!”

The same answer burst forth at the same time. I sent the 1st minute detachment into the room to face them.

The personal spaces connected to levers, and the archive and control room spaces had all been extracted and isolated. However, the levers leading to other dioceses and the square remained. We had left a path for the Archbishop of Bamberg to communicate. But we would not go there. We waited for the bishop to come to the completely emptied Bamberg Archdiocese.

And…

Even if we didn’t wait for them to do so, the bishops had no choice but to come defend their territory. No landlord wouldn’t run to find their house when it was burning, so they would come even bringing support, and above all, no matter how much they knew the content of the 6 o’clock announcement, the possibility that a bishop with a diocese wouldn’t come to his diocese even though the announcement had started was…

Thud—

—Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain!

It seemed a bit low though.

If they didn’t come, I was going to go find them—the moment two people appeared in front of the open door, I aimed my wand at the two figures and shouted. An explosion rang out as it met the pitch-black defensive magic. My protocol was already decided, and whether the two figures easily dispersed the divine power or not, what I could say in this instant was one thing.

“Completely destroy the lever!”

From where we had thrown the desk behind us, overlapping explosion sounds rang out along with quill pens and fountain pens visible through the monocle, wrapped in mist, burning and disappearing. “Destruction complete!” someone shouted, and simultaneously the 1st minute detachment leader roared. “Throw!” The sound of rain poured into my eardrums. Archduchess Maria’s sleeping drug contained in magical spheres scattered through the air as they broke upon hitting the ground. I saw the two bishops draw and aim their wands.

[Terra, terra, terra, audi sermonem Domini—! Confractione confringetur terra, contritione conteretur terra…]

Noiman’s voice rumbled through the corridor. And, ah—I was amazed. Warm memories melted my hardened skin. Light shone down above my head. Magical confetti flew over my head. For an instant, I was in the middle of an Easter festival.

Kwaaaaang—!

And it disappeared in an instant. The divine power emanating from my body vanished, dispelling Sarah Hohenfelss’s unique ability.

I might be fooled once, but not twice.

I had hastily mass-produced artifacts to counter Sarah Hohenfelss’s attacks when divine power wouldn’t work, but that was secondary. Here, I had no reason to hesitate using divine power.

The kingdom’s military mages fiercely struck down dozens of vitriol branches flying in like snakes. [With the warm gaze of a spring day, rivers and streams seek vitality and are released from hibernation!] A voice I had heard before. Sarah Hohenfelss, befitting an archbishop, shouted without wavering with a face full of composure—then I witnessed with my divine power the sight of my colleagues’ eyes returning completely clear. Everything overlapped based on instants. Strangely, his spell emitted neither black smoke nor liquid…

“Strengthen the barrier!”

I shouted until my throat was raw. Vitriol was finely splitting and overlapping with our body barriers. They intended to melt our defensive barriers and sweep us away in one moment. And—

Kwaaaaang—! Crack—

An earthquake occurred. The walls collapsed and broke, maintaining their shape, as a whole. In the place swept by the storm, I learned for the first time that the wooden floor of the bishop’s residence could be so miserably destroyed. The ceiling too, the walls too. Plant stems grew from every remaining corner filled with dust, splitting and toppling the whitewashed walls. While dozens of magical powers chained together making it hard to see ahead, that scene was clear. While some of the kingdom’s forces were in panic from that collapse, the stems rushed toward the two bishops. The bishops were in an isolated place with the door as the reference point, and we were in the hall with the door right in front. In the instant I closed and opened my eyes once more.

—If you remain in me and my words remain in you.

Along with my incantation, the same spell rumbled dozens of times from behind. Numerous mages chanted the same spell. Plant stems grasped the two bishops’ waists, necks, and limbs. Ah, the hands they had thrust into the air headed toward necks and arms. The briefly secured time was hope for us. The stems began melting in the vitriol. Sarah Hohenfelss put her hands together and closed her eyes even in this crisis. With a face soft yet strong like someone praying to Christ, he said.

[Declining winter retreats powerlessly into the rough mountains—]

—Ask for whatever you want!

[Terra, terra, terra, audi sermonem Domini—!]

[The sun shall not tolerate any white light.]

Kwaaaaang—!

The divine power stopped completely. In an instant lasting less than a second, Sarah Hohenfelss looked around at the magical power frozen in all directions and tore away Leonard’s plant stems. The stopped magical power had no attack power like fireflies—but Leonard’s unique ability didn’t stop at his spell and rushed fiercely again. Momentary silence and the sound of breaking through air, then light and noise bombarding again. While Leonard’s concentration was directed at the strong Sarah Hohenfelss, I watched the Bishop of Eichstätt. The two bishops defending against the kingdom’s military mages’ attack magic occasionally sent attacks right to our faces to confuse Noiman of the catacombs and me. Noiman shouted.

“Don’t give them time to set up spatial magic!”

“Keep trying! Everyone, listen. The Bishop of Eichstätt is thinking of fleeing.”

I spoke with sound-blocking magic so it would be transmitted to the mages’ right artifacts. Before I finished speaking, the light that had been striking painfully to the eyes partially dispersed toward the Bishop of Eichstätt. They had calm faces but were being pushed back. No matter how exceptional vitriol’s attack power was, it was difficult to handle attacks from dozens of people pressing without giving time to deploy even one magical formula.

[You are an incorrigible liar and sophist.] Sarah Hohenfelss’s bleak voice pierced my mind.

I widened my eyes at the suddenly changed view. Mountain valleys, forests, cities—why? Wind was blowing from the east. The dark sky suddenly brightened as if pulling away a curtain. More than that, the bishop’s residence had disappeared. What appeared before my eyes now was an unfamiliar village, no, an unfamiliar village adjacent to the city center. How?

What do you mean how—the bishop’s residence was just a borrowed building, and the place where that coordinate system was installed was not the bishop’s residence. Didn’t I already know that? That means…

They had decided to hold the lives of Bavarian citizens hostage since they seemed to have no chance of winning alone and had lost their way to the leadership. That way they could tie our hands!

Nuremberg. Leonard moved his lips with murderous eyes. Simultaneously, the 1st minute detachment leader, who had originally been a regiment commander, said.

“Your Excellency, this is Nuremberg! If we go just 300m north from here, we’ll reach Nuremberg!”

The 10th Infantry Brigade stationed in Bayreuth had fallen to Nuremberg… This was turning out quite interestingly. However, these were all nearby cities, and all mages from existing Nuremberg noble families had been assigned to the 10th Infantry Brigade and had all trained in the vicinity, so I would trust them. I licked the inside of my lips with my tongue and shouted.

“They’ll flee to the city center. Don’t block them!”

“What?!”

“They’ll think we naturally can’t go to the city center and will try to stop us. Having two objectives in battle means you’re likely to miss both.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Leonard explained to the mages in a low voice.

“Don’t block their path, but block the Archbishop of Bamberg’s life.”

That was right. Since we had temporarily twisted Bavaria’s coordinate system anyway, they had no way to warp even if they knew Bavaria’s warp coordinate system. The problem was that being mages, they could flee quite easily without warping—I shouted toward the kingdom’s military mages.

“Pursue!”

The mages’ magical power headed north. The 6:08 Bamberg, gradually turning red, could not hide our fierce blue magical offensive. The village, which had been frozen—wait, Pleroma’s broadcast was not visible in the sky for some reason—was filled with overlapping screams. I changed my staff to a wand and chanted a spell.

—Commit your way to the Lord.

Some of the residents began recognizing me. Nicolaus Ernst, and the crown prince, murmuring, wind, sunset, all elements of the world scattered my nerves.

—Trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun!

Thousands of light clusters rushed toward where I aimed. Divine power burst from the tip of my wand, emitting light like broad daylight.

—Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes!

The light that burst out like lightning gathered in the distance. It did not scatter but stopped in place, making it difficult to see around it. It was quickly cut off. Whether it was consumed by vitriol—ah, of course it would be. I chanted once more toward where the light cluster had been. The kingdom’s military mages were already running north. The pitch-black forest in the distance swayed fiercely as if it had power. It must be Leonard’s work. Screams burst out from various places. I whispered, aiming my wand with one eye narrowed in the midst of screams that slowly scratched at my ears.

—I have come to bring fire on the earth.

“Count Ernst! In the sky—”

—How I wish it were already kindled!

The terrified cries of people who recognized me shook my ears. No light or sound returned as a reaction to the spell. However, this spell would have inflicted pain on the bishops’ bodies. I would have aimed accurately—not just believing but seeing it. The kingdom’s military mages had almost caught up with the bishops.

“Oh!”

Someone shouted, so I raised my head. The sky had darkened. The screams and cries of terrified children spread through the village. The giant figure of someone with a white cloth covering their face was translucently reflected in the sky. Overwhelming presence dominated my entire body. I had never seen something so huge in the sky. Everyone was the same.

[You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.]

It was not a spell. ‘Someone’s’ majestic voice flowed slowly. Ah, I solved the belated question with my mouth open.

[Beloved brothers, on this day in 1898, we finally proclaim to our brothers.]

I understood why those bishops had come to the residence 5 minutes late. Pleroma had been warming up the continent as an introduction for all the people of Europe, and so that everyone in the world would hear this news and focus. And now they were beginning to speak in earnest.

* * *

—Beloved brothers, on this day in 1898, we finally proclaim to our brothers.

Leonard Wittelsbach furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky with his mouth open. He was conscious that this was a message flowing to everyone. And, “Don’t stop, pursue!” he shouted with all his strength. Only then did the world’s light begin to move again. Pleroma, dressed like the Pope with a white cloth draped over his face to hide his identity, spoke.

—Due to the misfortune of the times, we finally meet our brothers who have been far apart from each other, so today is truly a blessed and glorious first day, and no one can deny this. Everyone, we children of Christ are all children of Abraham’s faith, countless brothers of faith like the stars. We know that we, the living witnesses of Christ who will come again before the millennium kingdom, are regarded in this age as constantly speaking vain and vain words, and all things seem vain and futile.

Leonard Wittelsbach drew magical power from the depths of his breath and shouted.

[Make their path dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!]

[They have dug a pit to destroy my life without cause, hiding their net in a pit to catch me without cause—]

[Let destruction come upon them suddenly, let them be caught in their own hidden net, let them fall into destruction!]

The chained spells of the kingdom’s mages can be heard. The Bishop of Bamberg and the Bishop of Eichstätt head toward Nuremberg through the forest. In the process, they were almost flying, wrapped in Vitriol. Ernst’s command comes through the right artifact.

[Your Highness, I will pursue the Bishop of Bamberg. Please take charge of the Bishop of Eichstätt. The 4th Reconnaissance Battalion and 2nd Infantry Regiment, pursue the Bishop of Eichstätt!]

—The Empire’s slander toward wise foresight blinds the eyes of our brothers and turns us, who long for each other like kinfolk, against one another. This is certainly not discord between Pleroma and Catholicism and Protestantism. This age worships atheism and materialism as the essence of reason, severing humanity from humanity’s homeland. The age that has lost God will later be precariously hollow, consumed by emptiness, having lost the backbone to sustain them even while holding everything in their hands.

[To the north! 3rd encirclement!]

Nicolaus Ernst’s voice. He quickly gave chase. The Bishop of Bamberg heads toward Nuremberg. And the Bishop of Eichstätt?

—We face such an age of evil, and we too come to believe that following such evil is right and knowledge and truth. Thus Peter speaks: ‘First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?’

The Bishop of Eichstätt is the same. Leonard Wittelsbach strikes down the fierce Vitriol flying from behind and shouts.

“4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, change formation! From now on, only listen to my commands. The Bishop of Bamberg is escaping westward toward Nuremberg Rotenbach, and the Bishop of Eichstätt is escaping eastward toward Langwasser!”

—’Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

“4th Reconnaissance Battalion, move to temporary coordinates 554:899:200! Use the terrain to create an encirclement in advance and report. I recommend the 4th encirclement, but you may change it according to the situation.”

—’By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.’

My head is ringing. The sound shakes my body like mad. However, this magical power seemed to be trapped in the sky rather than emanating from the ground. Leonard Wittelsbach pursues the Bishop of Eichstätt, who has begun using magical power instead of Vitriol to confuse his position. In pursuit, tactics come first, combat magic skills second. Therefore, he observes the situation from the rear.

—I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. So God promised never again to destroy us with water, and never again will there be destruction by water. But because we have utterly forgotten the old days, this age of injustice hastens the day when we will perish by fire. All things will become ash in a single day and collapse due to fire. The continent’s wealth and glory that seemed to last forever will be irreversibly cut off on that day. Humanity will have to build everything anew from zero…

Kwaaaaang—!

Vitriol.

Vitriol flowing down like lava corrodes the building. Screams grip the heart. The unit’s Arcane Mage purifies it, but it’s unknown how long this will be possible.

—We do not mean to say our brothers are ignorant and foolish.

“Prince!”

—Certainly the scriptures inform us as follows: Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, and they will not escape. But what does the apostle Paul say next? But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief… You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

The sacred-sounding voice recites scripture. And on the ground, there are cries of anguish. The festive atmosphere of Easter has long since changed to an apocalyptic atmosphere. Leonard Wittelsbach hears the wailing sounds of the residents.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors—”

Leonard Wittelsbach approved and modified the strategy coming through the artifact. While doing so, he completely deflected all the Vitriol that the bishop scattered and hurled like blades from behind. In the places Leonard passed, grass, shrubs, and giant trees grew to block the Vitriol. Behind them, the faint sound of people reciting the Lord’s Prayer in terror could be heard.

“—And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Father…”

What Leonard heard most clearly were the situation reports from his subordinates shooting directly through the artifact, and this had to be the case both by rank and by the artifact’s position. His hands reflexively caught and deflected all the Vitriol through decades of effort, and he felt the grass sprouting beneath his feet and the paved roads being lifted and shattered. Wherever he stepped, civilization was destroyed and nature took its place. The Bishop of Eichstätt’s Vitriol and unique ability made his mind want to escape from this place, but Leonard took out his pocket knife and cut his hand. Just as he had done two hours ago. His mind returned.

—Christ became human for us, and that is the plan to make us become like him. Our countless descendants have been able to participate in God’s life through Jesus Christ, and Christ has led us into his realm. And God has allowed us one more thing today.

One more thing? Leonard feels an inner sense of foreboding.

[Your Highness, we have prevented the Bishop of Eichstätt from advancing westward. Current casualties: 0 dead, 3 wounded, 35 combat-ready personnel. The bishop is currently continuing northward. We have prevented damage to the city center!]

Hopeful words. However, Leonard does not rejoice prematurely. And shocking news comes.

—We have discovered new manuscripts beyond the biblical manuscripts found so far.

Leonard widened his eyes and furrowed his brow. Even so, he told his subordinate.

“If possible, confine him to the east.”

[Your Highness, there is a lake to the north.]

“If we drive him east, endless forest will appear.”

Ah, the other party, understanding his intention, inhales like that. Leonard continued.

“From then on, I will handle it in earnest.”

[I will obey your command.]

—We estimate this to be a manuscript from around the 2nd century BC. Considering that existing Old Testament manuscripts were made in the 1000s and the oldest New Testament manuscripts, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, were recorded in the 4th century, this is a manuscript from a very distant era.

They’re insane, Leonard Wittelsbach thinks.

—We can imagine what kind of fierce capitalist desires the earth will be boiling with by now. We can gladly reveal the location of these manuscripts for our brothers’ research. There is a cave at Qumran, Ain Feshkha. Numerous manuscripts remain in the caves there, and we have copied them all, so please research freely. But what we want to say today is this: With unceasing passion for Christ, you should buy tickets to the Ottoman Empire, but you must focus on our declaration at this very moment.

[14th Reconnaissance Battalion, to Wälznerweiherstrase!]

—Through the Ain Feshkha manuscripts, we have learned what we must do.

What you must do is nothing but disappear cleanly from the world. Leonard Wittelsbach suppresses the urge to shout this.

—Therefore, from now on, we will carry out exactly the words that the Old Testament prophet has newly conveyed today. We know well that we are defined by the times as a group of the unrighteous. Therefore, we also know that our words today will become an act of injustice, like the council of Jewish leaders who sent Christ to his death. But the Ain Feshkha manuscripts tell us to do so. They say we must become that. Brothers, Christ is on earth today.

Crack— Kwaaaaang—

Leonard Wittelsbach raises his arm and spreads a giant canopy. Once separated from the ground, the stems shoot up explosively. The deep green foliage blocks part of the dim sunlight that has set on the horizon. Vitriol flying from the sky melts between the plants. The screams of Nuremberg residents have subsided.

Was it some sense of foreboding he felt, or was it the sensation that he must know what they had to do that made all his nerves stand on edge, or was it the sense of battle that made his blood vivid? He felt his blood rushing through his body more fiercely than usual. No matter how much he used his ability, he didn’t get tired.

—Christ will refine the earth with fire and destroy us with fire. But the day when he will save us through such judgment fire is not far off. We know Christ and must not sleep like others, but only stay awake and be sober. Christ says in the New Testament: My blood is a promise of God’s kingdom with you, and I die for you. And when he comes again, Christ decides to wear the promise on his body as it is. Also, Christ knows that the Old Testament’s strictness and teachings about blood have faded and deteriorated today, with their essence forgotten and only hardened into rejecting blood.

Nonsense. That never happened. When he comes again, he will wear the promise on his body as it is—such an expression he had never heard or seen. However, Leonard feels his steps gradually slowing.

—Therefore, he has come to this age in the lowest form.

The back of his neck felt cold. He didn’t know why his heart was pounding so hard. He raised his hand, blocked another Vitriol bombardment, and began breathing through his mouth.

—You all know well. The one who caused such a stir in our land over ten years ago, the boy who was despised for taking the blood of beasts and removing human hearts due to an unavoidable, unfortunate, and vulgar affliction. Everyone in the Empire, regardless of age or rank, without exception despised that ignoble temperament, and all clergy unanimously lamented that the world would decline—everyone remembers those ten years.

Leonard was rooted to the spot. Then he ran again. He couldn’t stop. Leonard felt his heart pounding as if it would burst. He already knew the next words. He knew how everything would turn out.

Kwaaaaaang—

The foliage is thick. In front of where he stands, the world is turning green. He erases all traces of civilization’s time from Nuremberg’s streets. His unique ability pulses in rhythm with his heartbeat. Leonard Wittelsbach looked up at the sky. Pleroma’s white cloth covering the sky repeatedly rises and falls slightly. Pleroma’s speaker is talking. Even at this moment. In the middle of the continent where all people are watching, the speaker creates his friend’s fate and speaks it. All other sounds fade far away.

He had never wished for time to stop as much as now.

—Today, Christ has lowered his life to the most base level with the temperament he himself chose, even from a cradle full of grace, wealth, and blessings, and has manifested on our earth. We, who had been searching for Christ, scolded the lost child who seemed to corrupt society to lead us away from Christ for the past ten years like this: Child, why have you done this? Look, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

So he says to us: Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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